Gladiator (2000)

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers (WGA):

David Franzoni (story)
David Franzoni (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 May 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next

Plot:

When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Gladiator | Emperor | General | Death | Revenge

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 79 nominations

Cast

Russell Crowe	...	Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Commodus
Connie Nielsen	...	Lucilla
Oliver Reed	...	Proximo
Richard Harris	...	Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi	...	Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou	...	Juba
David Schofield	...	Falco
John Shrapnel	...	Gaius
Tomas Arana	...	Quintus
Ralf Moeller	...	Hagen
Spencer Treat Clark	...	Lucius
David Hemmings	...	Cassius
Tommy Flanagan	...	Cicero
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	Tiger

Also Known As:

The Gladiators (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for intense, graphic combat.

Runtime:

155 min | 171 min (extended version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #37084) | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Israel:PG | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Maximus's tattoo "SPQR" stands for "Senatus Populusque Romanus," which translates to "the Roman senate and people." This was one of the main slogans of Rome throughout its history (as well as today, e.g. manhole covers etc.).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In one scene, you can see the Tiber river from the Colosseum. The Colosseum was built near one of Rome's hills, and no road lead directly from there to the river.

Quotes:

Commodus: If you're very good, tomorrow night I'll tell you the story of emperor Claudius who was betrayed by those closest to him, by his own blood. They whispered in dark corners and went out late at night and conspired and conspired but the emperor Claudius knew they were up to something...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sydney White (2007)

Soundtrack:

Now We Are Free

Best of 2000

Very rarely a film meshes together as finely as Gladiator. Its vivid action, superb writing, breathtaking acting, moving cinematography, and flawless score all amalgamate into a zenith of film making.

Russell Crowe, severely underrated after his brilliant roles in LA Confidential and The Insider, justifies his position in the elite of Hollywood in this film. The calibre of his performance is stunning. Along with an excellent supporting cast, Crowe truly transfers the intense emotions of this flick to the audience.

Gladiator is a must see. It is a cliche to call a movie "powerful", but Gladiator's power is unavoidable. 10/10